Chirality in photonic systems

Publication date: Available online 27 July 2016 Source:Comptes Rendus Physique Author(s): Dmitry Solnyshkov, Guillaume Malpuech The optical modes of photonic structures are the so-called TE and TM modes that bring intrinsic spin–orbit coupling and chirality to these systems. This, combined with the unique flexibility of design of the photonic potential, and the possibility to mix photon states with excitonic resonances, sensitive to magnetic field and interactions, allows us to achieve many phenomena, often analogous to other solid-state systems. In this contribution, we review in a qualitative and comprehensive way several of these realizations, namely the optical spin Hall effect, the creation of spin currents protected by a non-trivial geometry, the Berry curvature for photons, and the photonic/polaritonic topological insulator.

Source: Comptes Rendus Physique - July 27, 2016 Category: Physics Source Type: research